A new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could be the worst in a decade, with more than 500 suspected cases and 130 deaths reported so far.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak a 'public health emergency of international concern', but experts warn that it could be as bad as the 2014-16 epidemic in west Africa, which killed 11,000 people.
The virus has been circulating for several weeks, and two Congolese nationals have been diagnosed with it in neighbouring Uganda.
Public-health experts worry that the disease could spread to Burundi and South Sudan, and that the situation is complicated by a fatal blend of bad luck, a country at war and a world cutting health aid.
Despite improved response measures since the west African disaster, the lack of a licensed vaccine or rapid diagnostic testing for the Bundibugyo strain is a major concern.
The state presence in Ituri is incredibly weak, and armed groups have burned down clinics run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the past.
Aid cuts have also reduced the capacity to respond to the outbreak, with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) slashing its programmes in Ituri.
Responding to Ebola was incredibly difficult even with more resources, and experts warn that the situation is even more challenging without vaccines.
